Excellent stuff! Thanks for sharing this. My own hunting shirt is dyed pecan/brown, and I like it quite a lot. Need to wear it more often, as it's been put away in my Campaign trunk for a long time. Thanks, again, for posting this. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Mark

The only thing that can never be taken away from you, is your honor. Cherish it, in yourself, and in others.

From the Carlisle Gazette, September 14, 1785:
"Edward O'Donnell, Rye Twp, Cumberland Co., offers reward for Irish indented servant man, John Rorke, about 35 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches, hair cut short, very yellow skin, down look, 3 fore toes of each foot remarkably longer than the rest, talks much about the sea and England, swears exceedingly, took with him a tow shirt, trousers and hunting shirt dyed with maple bark, new hat and old shores.

The book this comes from is Abstracts of South Central Pennsylvania Newspapers: 1785-1790; (Family Line Publications: Westminster, Maryland).

I take this to mean both the trousers and hunting shirt were dyed in maple bark. When I worked in the sawmill, we cut maple quite often. It would stain your hands a purplish black color. I had quit working at the mill when I found this runaway ad, but have wanted to get maple bark and dye some material to see what color it comes out.